Combined telephone stand and utility cabinet



Aug. 14, 1951 J. CONRAD 2,563,988

COMBINED TELEPHONE STAND AND UTILITY CABINET Filed Nov. 9, 1945 LT:(/LPZI} [/VVf/VTOR JOSEPH CON/PAD ATTOR/VE YS Patented Aug. 14, 195 1COMBINED TELEPHONE STAND AND UTILITY C I E Joseph Conrad, New'Orleans,La.

Application November 9, 1945, Serial No. 627,687

The present invention relates to a combined telephone stand and utilitycabinet embodying an article of furniture including a cabinetconstruction formed with compartments, drawers and sliding trays adaptedfor holding various articles for storing in the cabinet, the top of thecabinet being adapted for supporting a telephone thereon and alsoprovidin sliding panels in both the top and front of the cabinet andadapted to contain frequently used telephone numbers for quick referenceby persons using the telephone, as well as for containin emergencytelephone numbers by means of which emergency calls ma be made withoutloss of time.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a combinedtelephone stand and cabinet of this character in which the slidin panelsat the top and front of the cabinet are connected to each other forsimultaneous opening and closing movement so that upon an outwardmovement of one of the panels from the cabinet, the other of said panelswill likewise be moved outwardly into a position for reading thetelephone numbers carried thereby.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a recess in the top ofthe cabinet in which an adapter may be placed for receiving andsupporting bases of telephones of various shapes, and whereby thetelephone is supported against sliding movement on the cabinet while anumberis being dialed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a writing shelfslidably mounted n the upper portion of the cabinet and movablyoutwardly from either side thereof for use by either a right handed orleft handed person.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterof simple and practical construction, which is neat and attractive inappearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawin forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined stand and cabinetillustrative of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the combined stand and cabinet showingpanels in outwardly extended position.

Figure 3 is an isometric projection of the cabinet top.

1 Claim. (01. 312272) I Figures 4 and 5 are top plan views of theadapters for accommodating telephones ofvarious sizes and shapes; and

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the cabinet with the cabinet top and topdrawer removed. Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for thepurpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of theinvention, the numeral 5 designates a cabinet body which may be ofsquare shape in cross-section or of any other desired cross-sectionalshape and includinga top 6 to the rear portion of which is secured alamp standard. I by means of a flang d base ll'for supporting a lampshade 9 at its upper end in a position overlying the top of the cabinet.An extension cord I0 is attached to the lamp standard for connectionwith a suitable outlet.

The top 6 is also formed with an elongated opening ll providingcommunication with the interior of the cabinet and within which issuitably secured a pair of spaced parallel vertically extending guidesl2 extending downwardly from the under side of the top of the ends ofthe openingl I.

A panel 13 is slidably mounted in the guides I2 for vertical movementthrough the opening I i and adapted for movement into and out of aconcealed position in the cabinet. To the front of the panel is isattached or otherwise suitably displayed a list of telephone numbersdesignated at M and which preferably comprise emergency telephonenumbers, such as police, fire department, ambulance, doctors phonenumbers, and the like.

A" shelf [5 is slidably mounted in an opening [6 in the front of thecabinet and is provided at its outer edge with pull knobs ii. The shelfI5 is also adapted to contain frequently used telephone numbers on itsupper surface as indicated at M.

The inner edge of the shelf l5 and the lower edge of the panel is areconnected with two flexible cords or cables l8 extending over pulleys l9secured within the cabinet and arranged so that an outward slidingmovement of the shelf or panel I5 will cause an upward movement of thepanel I 3, whereby to raise the latter to its exposed position when theshelf or panel I5 is pulled outwardly. The panel [3 will gravitatedownwardly in the guides I 2 on an inward movement of the shelf or panell5.

The top 6 is formed in its upper surface adjacent the front edge thereofwith a recess 20 of polygonal shape or noncircular construction adaptedfor receiving a similarly shaped block or boss M on the under side of anadapter 22 or 23, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing anddetachably associated with the cabinet.

The adapter 22 comprises a flat plate formed with a recess 24, withinwhich the base of a dial telephone 25 corresponding to the shape of therecess 24 may be positioned. The adapter 22 has a square-shaped recesstherein while the adapter 23 is formed with a circular recess 26 in itsupper surface to receive a telephone having a correspondingly shapedbase.

By seating the base of the telephone in the adapter, the telephone isprevented from sliding on the top section of the cabinet while dial-.-ing the telephone.

A writing shelf 27 is slidalbly mounted in an opening 28 extendingtransversely through the upper portion of the cabinet and outwardly ateach side thereof. Each end of the shelf 21 is formed with a knob orhandle 28 by means of which the shelf may be moved outwardly at eitherside of the cabinet to provide a writing shelf or support for either aright or left handed person while using the telephone. The upper surfaceof the shelf 21, adjacent each end thereof, is provided with one or morerecesses 29 adapted to contain a writing pad, pencils or other writingequipment.

In the front of the cabinet below the shelf I5 is mounted a slidingdrawer 30 adapted for holding a telephone directory and below the drawer30 is a sliding utility drawer 3| adapted for holding smoking equipmentor the like, as shown at 32.

The lower portion of the front of the cabinet is provided with a pair ofhingedly mounted doors 33 to afford access to the interior of the lowerportion of the cabinet and which may be used as a storage space.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the combined telephone standand utility cabinet provides a suitable support for a telephone whilethe latter is held against sliding movement during the dialing of anumber and the panels I3 and I5 slidably carried in the cabinet provideeasily accessible and quick means for determining emergency andfrequently used telephone numbers without incurring delay in looking upthe numbers in the telephone book or directory.

It is believed that the details of construction, manner of useandadvantages of the device will be readily understood from theforegoing without further detailed explanation, and further it will benoted that this device is simple in construction and extremely practicalowing to the fact that the parts involved in this construction will notreadily become out of order.

It is to be understood, however, that even though I have herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of my invention, the same issusceptible of certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described, and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

In a rectangular cabinet body having a top and a front with arectangular opening in said top spaced from and substantially parallelto said front and a rectangular opening in said front adjacent andsubstantially parallel to said top, guides disposed one at each end ofaid top opening extending inwardly of said body, a panel slidable insaid guides for movement substantially perpendicular to said top betweena concealed position within said cabinet and an exposed position inwhich it extends above said top, a shelf slidable through said frontopening substantially perpendicular thereto between a concealed positionWithin said body and an exposed position in which it extends outwardlyfrom said front, and flexible means operativel connecting said shelf andsaid panel whereby they are simultaneously exposed and concealed, saidflexible means comprising a pulley rotatably'mounted in said cabinet,and a cord trained over said pulley and connected at one end to theinner end of said shelf and at its other end to the lower end of saidpanel.

JOSEPH CONRAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 176,711 Townsend Apr. 25, 1876360,020 Iske Mar. 29, 1887 654,922 Schipkowsky July 31, 1900 808,169Rhodes Dec. 26, 1905 919,619 McComb Apr. 27, 1909 1,569,486 Hardin Jan.12, 1926 1,904,824 Crouset Apr. 18, 1933 1,942,856 Davis Jan. 9, 19342,044,559 Balster June 16, 1936 2,148,055 Blumenthal Feb. 21, 19392,283,690 Munson May 19, 1942

